PTHE first 30 front-entrance double-deck / buses to enter service in central London will be introduced on service 24 (Hampstead Heath -Charing Cross Pimlico) on Sunday, as part of full-scale trials to compare the performance of this type of bus with the conventional London open-rear-platform double-decker under the arduous operating conditions pertaining in the West End and the City.

First step in these trials was the introduction last Monday of 72-seater AEC Routemasters on service 76 (Lower Edmonton-Victoria); the front-entrance buses are similar-capacity, rear-engined Leyland Atlanteans. In both cases the buses have replaced existing 64and 56-seater vehicles on a one-for-one basis (The Commer'cial Motor, June 18, 1965).

On Monday, one of the new Atlanteans was demonstrated to the Press, followed by a run over the type of routes the buses will operate on. An illustrated • description of these Atlanteans appeared in The Commercial Motor of July 2; basically they are standard " provincial "type Atlanteans with Park Royal bodies. with interior bttings and decor to London Transport requirements. The chassis of the new buses is the standard PDR 1.1 with Le■•land 0.600 engine derated in accordance with standard LTD policy to give an output of 130 b.h.p. A fully automatic gearbox and power-assisted steering are other features adopted by London Transport.

Introducing the new vehicles, Mr. M. J. McCoy, operating manager, central buses, described the step as an experiment and said that by employing the vehicles on a route which passed through the centre of London a " pretty good impact" should be made on the public. Mr. K. G. Shave, chief mechanical engineer (road services), said that so far as he was concerned the new buses were not experimental as they were not up to the standard normally employed by London Transport. 11 the experiments being carried out by Mr. McCoy's department proved successful, buses of similar layout, designed on " Routernaster " principles would be built.

After the new buses have been in service for some time, they will be switched on to service 76 and their place taken by the RMLs at present on that service. Next stage in the experiment will be the introduction of 72-seat . Routemasters on service 67 (Northumberland Park-London Docks) and of the remaining 20 out of a total of 50 Atlantcans on service 271 (Highgate VillageMoorgate).